Direct Sunlight
by Nardragon
Summary: Lena knew a lot of darkness in her life. She also knew her fair share of light. But it isn't until a ray of sunshine walks into her office that she knows what sunlight is.


No, I'm not writing Supergirl fanfiction to distract myself from the hiatus. What would give you such an idea?

This could be considered a sequel to 'Half Her Strength', but it's not really. In my mind, this happens after 'Half Her Strenght,' but there aren't any direct connections between the two.

* * *

Lena had known a lot of darkness in her life.

When she thought back to those few years before her name was Luthor, the scraps that remained were less memories and more corrupted flashes of caustic emotions. Fear and seeping blackness. Strident clashes in a confusion of smoky grey. An acidic stifling scent paired with agony. The lonely cacophony of a crowded room.

She'd sifted through the scarce, jagged fragments so many times they no longer felt like hers. In a way, they weren't. They were nothing but a mirage she clung to, let herself pretend she was something other than a Luthor. It was nothing but a pretty lie. One she never believed, no matter how much she wished she could.

She was a Luthor. A Luthor who'd faced all the hatred, scorn and rejection that came with the name. Even before there was a blue and red hero that her brother called a plague and swore to rid the world off. The name Luthor always carried power. Those who had power had enemies. She wasn't sure when she first realized this. Maybe it was when the girls on her first day of boarding school took one look at her and turn their backs, whispering among themselves. Maybe it was when she saw the cold eyes of the men who worked under her father. They wore smiles on their faces, with knives hidden behind their backs. Any one of them ready cut him down and take his empire for their own. Maybe it had been when she witnessed Lex completely destroy a boy he called his best friend without ever raising a hand. He'd reduced him to a pile of self-doubt and misery with only his words.

She'd been lying if she said she hadn't been completely in awe. She didn't see the darkness that came with the name at first. She saw the brilliant Luthors who called her their own. Her father, intelligent and sharp, always ready with words of wisdom. Her mother, cunning as she was elegant, with an insidious honesty that made Lena work twice as hard to prove herself. And then there was Lex. Lex, who appeared before her with open arms, a kilowatt smile and an unstoppable drive that she yearned for.

The Luthors had their shadows, but they hid those with the light they produced. For a girl who'd only know the darkness, she'd been blinded by it. The white, blinding fluorescent brilliance. It took a while to learn that light held no warmth. It took longer for her to see the energy they clawed from others to illuminate themselves.

But her father faded away, her brother had cracked and her mother turned away from her. She was left staring into the abyss. This was what the Luthor name truly was. Darkness, hidden by a false halo. She refused to spend her life sinking further into its depths. She strove to make her own light.

And she was starting to see some of it too. When her donations opened a new wing in the children's hospital she saw it in the eyes of those children, who despite everything had more faith than anyone else. She saw the light of a new beginning reflected in the glass windows of Nation City's skyline when she first saw it from her plane as it descended from the clouds. She hoped she saw it in the new name she'd chosen for the company her brother had used to make so much darkness.

Lena knew a lot of darkness in her life. But it hadn't been without light. She knew what light looked like. But it wasn't until a ray of sunshine came into her office that she knew what sunlight was.

Before she met Kara Danvers she wouldn't have believed that any one person could hold that much light in themselves. Yet, there Kara stood shining with all the light of the sun, stars and cosmos. When she looked at Kara for the first time, standing just behind Clark Kent, she saw something in her eyes that she didn't recognize. It wasn't until their next meeting that Lena realized what it was. Kara was looking at her. Just her. She didn't see her name. She didn't see her brother's actions. It had been so long since anyone had looked at her like that, Lena almost forgot that it was possible.

There was an earnestly to Kara. She radiated pure sincerity in everything she did. Lena isn't sure if she's met anyone this honest since kindergarten. Kara's such a detour from the kind of people she's used to dealing with Lena can't help but crave her while it's still novel. She seeks her out at any opportunity, letting herself bask in the warmth of her smile and the glow of her eyes.

Lena would have never imagined she'd find herself in the orbit of someone this warm, bright and genuine. But now that she has, she finds she can't escape Kara's gravity. She also finds that she doesn't want to.

And just when Lena's started to get over the surprise of Kara Danvers' sunlight, she realizes the solar system she's in has two stars. The second one comes into her office with her cape fluttering and her smile kind.

She'd been too busy trying not to die during her first few encounters with Supergirl to truly appreciate the light that shone off the heroine. Thinking about it, it's no surprise that Kara and Supergirl seem to have some kind of relationship, be it friendly or professional. If Kara was the sunny rays of a late summer evening, then Supergirl was the raw energy of a solar storm. With every encounter with each of them, Lena is starting to see more and more similarities in their light. They are both so open and trusting. Both so willing to look at Lena and not see a Luthor.

She'd been crushed when they suspected her mother. But by now she knew the Luthors couldn't stay in the light very long. She wasn't surprised at all by her mother's plan. Just tired of the same thing again.

Days after her mother's arrest hadn't given her any reprieve. The backlash was a bad as she'd expected it to be, and it was probably going to get worse before it got better. After a long day filled with meetings, she was actually looking forward to the peace and solitude of her office. But a surprise greeted her when she pushed open the door to her office.

"Lena,"

Kara stood up from the couch as Lena entered her office.

"Kara,"

"Um, hi," She smiled slyly, fidgeting with her glasses, "When I came your assistant said you were in a meeting. But she said it was okay to wait for you in here. I'm sorry if this is intruding. I know I should have called ahead or something. But I wasn't sure if I should come see you. Or if you would want to see me. Then I was passing by your building and I felt like I should check in on you-"

"Kara," Lena cut off her rambling, "It's fine," She'd had a long day. She'd spent two hours in meeting with her lawyers who were advising her to not testify against her mother and then three hours in the boardroom filled with the cold glares of men who were just waiting for her to slip up before they pounced. Right now some of Kara's warm personality would be a much-welcomed distraction.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long. My board meeting ran late,"

"Just a few minutes really,"

"So you're not here for an interview?"

"No, no, of course not. I just wanted to see how you're doing. See if you needed a friend,"

"A friend would be lovely right now actually." Lena joined Kara on the couch.

"You look tired, are you okay?"

Tired didn't start to cover just how drained Lena felt. "I just had one of those days,"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Lena let out a sigh, leaning her head against the back of the couch.

"You don't have to,"

She was quiet for a moment, "My lawyers and PR manager think I shouldn't testify against my mother,"

"What, why? But you're the primary witness, aren't you?"

She nodded, looking up at the ceiling, "The press on this has already been bad enough for L-corp. The last thing the company needs is the CEO going on the witness stand to testify against her own mother after she was one who got her arrested in the first place,"

"Do you want to testify against her?" Kara asked in a soft voice.

"My account holds significant weight in the case. There is an abundance of evidence against her, yes. But surely her team of top class lawyers are working on a case that makes it seem like she was just a bystander in all of this,"

"That's not going to happen. Supergirl was there, and half the NCPD force. She's not going to get off that easily,"

Lena gave a rueful chuckle, "Don't have much experience with bureaucracy, do you? I thought your mother was a judge?"

"She was, and that's why I believe justice will prevail and your mother will be going away for a long time for what's she's done,"

Lena couldn't help the wince. Despite everything it was still hard for her stomach that her mother was going to jail, and she was the one who put her there.

"Sorry. That sounded… I didn't think before I spoke,"

"It's fine Kara… Do you think I should do it?"

"Do what?"

"Testify against her?"

Kara didn't answer right away. When she did Lena was positive she'd heard wrong.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"No, I don't think you should do it,"

"Really?"

"But not for the reasons your lawyers don't want you to,"

"Oh?"

"This whole thing, I think it's affecting you more than you let on. And, okay, yeah she tried to commit alien genocide, but she's also your mom. I don't think I could stand in front of a court and speak against my mother, even if I knew with total certainty she was wrong. Knowing our parents are in the wrong, is one thing. Having to admit it to the world, that's another thing entirely. Whether you do this or not, the decision shouldn't be about L-corp. It should be about you, and how you feel,"

There it was. That sincerity that still took Lena by surprise. She'd been sure Kara would tell her to go on the stand. Lilian had almost killed hundreds of aliens. Of course the right thing to do would be to testify against her. And yet, there was Kara looking at her and seeing her, before she saw at anything else.

"You say that, even though you know without my testament she could get off with little to no jail time,"

"I think you should have more faith in Nation City's law enforcement,"

"You don't know the kind of lawyers my mother has working for her,"

"You don't know the top class agents working on the case,"

"Kara be serious here,"

"I am serious. If you think you can handle it, then you should do it. But only if you're certain. You don't need to testify. The statement you gave on the night will be part of the evidence. That's worth just as much as you going to the stand,"

"I… I don't know what I should do," She admitted.

"That's okay, you don't have to decide now."

"If I do decide to do it, could you be there? For moral support?"

"Of course I will. I'm here for you, how ever you need me," Kara smiles and it feels like the first time Lena's felt the sun in days. She can't help but smile in kind.

"Knowing you, I expected you come see me sooner," Lena says after a quiet moment.

"Oh," Kara blushes, "I wasn't sure if you would want to be left alone or not. I thought about coming before. Every day. I don't mean that like every day. Well, technically I suppose you could say it was. I just…well... I thought I wouldn't want to be alone at a time like this. But then I thought maybe you'd rather be because you're not me. I couldn't make up my mind. Then I got… busy for a few days. And I didn't know if I did come to see you if I should get you something. It's not like there is a card for this situation. Even though they have cards for almost everything these days. And…" Kara notices Lena smiling at her, "And I'm rambling,"

"It's fine. It's nice… refreshing,"

"Well, yeah... I guess I couldn't make up my mind,"

"Until today,"

"Until today," Kara repeated with a nod.

"I'm glad you did,"

"I'm glad that you're glad,"

Lena chuckles. "You heard how my day went, tell me about yours,"

"Nothing much to tell. My boss has me rushing around the city writing a piece on iconic landmarks,"

"Sounds… interesting,"

"I'm sure it was interesting, the first time it was done. An article like this has been done dozens of times before,"

"You don't sound all that happy,"

"I just don't want to reproduce something that's been done before,"

"National City is a big place. I'm sure you can find landmarks that haven't been featured before,"

"I could do that, but I can't just pick ten random places. Snapper will never go for it unless there's some kind of cohesion,"

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I have a concept, wouldn't go as far to call it an idea,"

Lena looked at her expectantly.

Kara flushed, "It's nothing really,"

"I'd like to hear it,"

"I don't even know if Snapper will go for it,"

"Run it by me first. If you can convince me, I'm sure that you can convince your boss,"

"I don't share your confidence in me. My boss is a mean- meany…" she frowned, eyebrows scrunching together, "D-doltish person,"

Lena tried and fail to suppress her amused snort. Even when trying to insult someone Kara didn't fail to be anything but warmth and sunshine.

"It'd make my day if you tell me,"

"Alright, I was thinking about focusing on the landmarks that were pertinent in the last year. Like where the President signed the amnesty act or the L-corp building,"

"L-corp?" Lena arched an eyebrow, "I don't see how L-corp is significant, it wasn't built this year,"

"No, but the building in National City became the new headquarters and you renamed it this year. L-corp has done a lot of good, you should be proud,"

"I… am," She said slowly, as though she just considering the fact that she should be proud for things she's accomplished.

"And you won't mind if I include L-corp,"

"I'd be a fool to turn down good press,"

Kara's grin was blinding. At that moment Kara's phone chirped with a message. She glanced down and gasped. Shooting to her feet she said, "Oh no, I'm late for game night,"

"Game night?"

"Yeah, my friends get together once a week. Hey, do you want to tag alone?"

"I won't want to intrude,"

"You wouldn't be intruding,"

"Thank you for the offer Kara, but I have some work to do,"

"You should give yourself the night off. No offence, but you look like you need it,"

"A CEO's work is never done I'm afraid,"

"If it's never done then taking a few hours off really won't make much of a difference,"

Chuckling softly Lena said, "Maybe another night,"

"I'm holding you to that," Kara smiled warmly.

Lena's lips tugged into a small smile, "I'm sure you will,"

"Well, have a good night Lena, and try not to work not too hard,"

"Night Kara,"

With one last sunny smile and a little wave Kara left. Lena moved to her desk and started answering emails. She'd been there forty-five minutes or so when her assistant walked into the office.

"Ms Luthor, this was just delivered,"

Lena looked up to see her carrying a bag of Chinese take-out. "I didn't order any food." She eyed it, a little apprehensive.

"The delivery guy said it'd been paid for, by Kara Danvers,"

Lena smiled. Even when Kara wasn't around, she still managed to drag a smile out of her.

"Thank you, Jess. Just leave it there,"

She typed a quick email to Kara.

 _Thank you for dinner. But you really didn't have to._

\- _Lena_

A reply appeared in her inbox twenty minutes later.

 _I felt a little bad to leave you at work while I was off to play monopoly (and currently losing in it). Food always helps me feel better, so I got you something from my favourite place. Enjoy :)_

\- _K._

 _I am enjoying it. Very much. You'll have to tell me where this place is._

\- _Lena_

 _P.S. – Try to get the orange and/or red monopolies if you can. Statistically, the rate of landing on them is higher, so they'll be more profitable, particularly in the late game._

Lena doesn't stop smiling as she finished her dinner. When she's done she closes her laptop, deciding to call it a night. She's tired. But now, her exhaustion doesn't feel like the bone-beat fatigue she felt before. Now she feels a drowsy weariness like she's spent hours standing direct sunlight. As she's heading down the elevator her phone buzzes with an email alert.

 _It's this little place tucked away on Faith Boulevard, by Amare Park. We could go there one evening if you'd like._

\- _K._

 _P.S. – I think I can do that. I already have two reds and one orange place. Yay me! Thanks for the tip. I usually try to get Boardwalk and Park Place. But I'd expect nothing less from a brilliant business woman._

Lena knew a lot of darkness in her life. And she knew a lot of light. She'd like to think she was putting some light out into the world. She knew she'd never be a shining sun. She'd spent too much time in the dark for that. But, as she smiled down at her phone, she thought, with people like Kara Danvers in her life she could learn how to reflect some of their radiance. Maybe… just maybe she could be like the moon.

* * *

This story may or may not have come to be because I wanted to compare Kara and Lena to the sun and moon.

Nardragon~ until the next page.


End file.
